Hey young rock and rollers, are you looking for cool summer jams to lower your core temperature from the blood boiling heat?

Look no further. Seattle's own TOMTEN are the musical equivalent of catching snowflakes on your tongue. If they were a delicious summertime ice cream confection, they would be one scoop Fats Waller and one scoop The Zombies drizzled with the Flaming Lips and perhaps a little Beach Boys (in the harmonic sense) sprinkled on top.

If that doesn't make you run screaming after their proverbial truck, then perhaps the fact that they use the organ extensively and cite Curtis Mayfield and Tiny Tim (WHO DOES THAT?) as influences of theirs might entice you further. They are a magnificent pastiche of everything that makes 60s-era pop so delightful and so memorable and brings an indie-pop sensibility to it, without completely destroying the intended effect by becoming too precious or distorting it into something unrecognizable. It's bike riding, daisy chain making, lemonade in the shade sipping summer perfection.

Does this sound like an Otter Pop to your ears? (Perhaps Sir Isaac Lime, or Louie Bloo Raspberry?) If so, you have two chances to hear them this weekend! They will be playing at Mars Bar on 7/10 at 8:00PM with Gashcat and at The Skylark Cafe in West Seattle on 7/11 at 7:00PM with Night Owl and Abraham. Go forth. Check them out. Fall in love.

I first heard Robin Lane with her original band, Boston's own the Chartbusters, in the very early 80s. They were kind of a new wavier version of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, with a similar pedigree in rock of both the classic (Lane singing on Neil Young's Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere) and more aggressive new style. Of course, Lane's combination of musical toughness and lyrical vulnerability was unique in a time when Chrissie Hynde was still right around the corner (and actually not out of the UK yet).

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If you stop by the Skylark Cafe in West Seattle anytime between now and December 14, you'll see the walls adorned with photos taken by the ridiculously lovely and talented Jenny Jimenez, who has been one of the best photographers in this city for over a decade now. The photos of bands like Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Death Cab for Cutie and Gossip. The photos she took of the final Sleater-Kinney show (a favorite band of both hers and mine), are simply breathtaking. She's also been a great friend to TIG during that time.

To celebrate this exhibit, the Skylark is hosting a big party next Thursday (which coincides with the West Seattle Art Walk) for Jimenez's photos. It'll feature live performances from Amy Blashke and Damien Jurado, as well as "drink specials, fortune telling, air guitaring and lots of great people". The show is called "Show Me Your TIFFs", which is a perfect name because it recalls the slogan Sleater-Kinney used on t-shirts during their time as a band "show me your riffs!" Also promised, is an all-male wet t-shirt contest to win one of the prints from the show, which seems quite fair.

This all starts at 6pm, with the music starting around 9. It's 21+ and free.

This weekend is the big goodbye to Harvey Danger, with the band playing a series of Seattle shows to bid a fond and official farewell to their the HD.

The last show (this Saturday night) has sold out and the recently added early show is nearly there. I thought it fitting that those of us who don't have Saturday night tickets might as well congregate somewhere where Sean Nelson might be if he wasn't taking the stage at the Crocodile: in West Seattle singing along to Dusty Springfield's "Son Of A Preacher Man" at Skylark with the Mangles.

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One of my favorite local powerpop bands (by way of Boston), The Scheme, has taken a hiatus for several months (at least to my knowledge) while the previous rhythm section moved on to other coasts/projects (still miss you Gary!).

Now they have a new rhythm section to join singer/guitarist David Thompson are bassist Gwon Chang (from The Lund Bros.) and drummer Gregg Anderson.

The Scheme is playing their first show this Saturday night at the Skylark in West Seattle with Paul Lynde Fan Club and Static Radio. If you like pop-rock in the vein of Elvis Costello and Sloan, you'll definitely want to check out The Scheme.

Here's a video from the previous incarnation of The Scheme playing at the Comet.

The shows are always free, they book good bands, the food is tasty, there's plenty of parking, and the staff is very friendly.

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Photo by soundonthesound, from our TIG Sparkly Indie-Pop Photo group.

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The Skylark Cafe, West Seattle's premiere live show venue, is about to celebrate its first birthday!

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